The village of Le Morne and the Vieux Grand Port are among the list of “Best Tourism Villages” 2021, made public on Thursday, December 2, during the 24th session of the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), which took place this week in Madrid. This initiative, launched on a pilot basis by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), aims to reward villages committed to making tourism a powerful engine for their development and inclusion.
A total of 174 villages were nominated by 75 UNWTO member states (each member state could nominate up to three villages). However, only 44 villages from 34 countries were awarded the “Best Tourism Village” seal. For the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning and Minister of Tourism, Steven Obeegadoo, who attended the 24th session of the UNWTO General Assembly, “this double accolade contributes to making Mauritius an even more visible destination and testifies to the joint effort of the government and the private sector to promote and preserve the diversity as well as the natural and cultural richness of our villages while fostering sustainable and inclusive development.
In a statement issued by the UNWTO, it said that the 44 nominated villages have indeed distinguished themselves through their natural and cultural resources as well as their innovative and transformative actions and commitment to the expansion of tourism in line with sustainable development goals.
“Tourism can be a driver of social cohesion and inclusion by promoting a more equitable distribution of benefits across the territory and empowering local communities,” said UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili when announcing the results.
The statement also said that the villages were evaluated by an independent advisory committee based on a series of criteria in nine areas: cultural and natural resources, promotion and conservation of cultural resources, economic sustainability, social sustainability, environmental sustainability, tourism potential and development and value chain integration, governance and tourism prioritization, infrastructure and connectivity, and finally health, safety and security.
The 44 villages from the 34 selected countries will now be part of the ‘Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO’ network, a space that will promote the exchange of experiences and best practices, lessons learned and opportunities.
